i have been a vc fan for a very long time...be not nobody was one of the first albums i ever owned.
i saw her live at the roxy earlier this year and i don't know when i was more excited for an album.
i must say i am thoroughly disappointed in heroes & thieves.
vanessa's performance at the roxy was epic...just her and her piano, and you could really feel the emotion and the beauty of the songs.
this album is totally pop synthesized.
i had an amazing live performance of hands on me that i loved, but on the album i feel like shes playing with a metronome. one of the mostbrilliant things about her work was her ability to switch tempo.
fools like me has by far the best lyrics of any song...especially the last 3 lines which i am obsessed with. but the instrumentals are completely overwhelming and take over the rest of the song.
i just don't understand why sooo many songs fail to have the piano as the lead instrument...i do not like vanessa because of her voice..i like her songwriting/pianoplaying/singing combo.
i just feel completely blindsighted...what artist does entirely acoustic live performances when their album is pop?
its frusterating that this album had 5 star potential and its only like a 3, MAYBE a 3.5
Since I'm a fan of her previous works, I'll give the album 3 stars. But H&T is just
whack w/ a capital W, and I never thought I would say that. The only good song really is NF; I thought that was the precursor, the main theme of the rest of H&T; boy did I get played -- BIG time. I honestly don't know what V was aiming for the third round. I guess I'll ask her if I have the chance to meet her. I just hope it's different w/ the next record. *ignores immature critsism* When Van performs live, sometimes her vocals are off-key [probably b/c she's sick, tired or her voice is worn from so much singing], but other times she sounds really good, sometimes better than she does on the record [especially in her performances on Sessions@AOL and Rolling Stone Original and other live performances I don't have time to name].
On a lot of the album reviews for BNN [I haven't yet seen the ones for HARMONIUM], some say that the main problem w/ the album was that all of the songs pretty much sounded the same w/ Ron Fair running things and adding an orchestra and all. That's true, but I had absolutely no qualms about that b/c the material was pretty good [and entertaining to listen to and sing along w/ as well]. I also loved that the piano wasn't tweaked, her YAMAHA therefore maintaining its naturally beautiful, pristine sound [except on Wanted w/ the solo piano b/c the song had to have that 'studio' sound quality suitable for the album]. V's pretty voice was also easy on the ears, too [she sang her ass off in Wanted and Paint It Black].
For those of you who want to argue and be militant and hostile about my criticism of the H&T, I'm 'a just be the bigger person and ignore your idiotic comments. I don't like her latest album, no means no, like it, lump, back up and bump it, or whatever you wanna do. Y'all can kiss my curvy black ass -- and then go straight to hell, 'cuz I don't know you, and you don't know absolutely nothin' about me, either, just to be making such silly, childish, petty comments. I've tried to be nice and civilized, but it's obviously not working -- at all. I give up b/c people are impossible to please, anyway. It didn't work back in 2005, and it's definitely not working now. Some of you obviously have too much time on your hands, lest you wouldn't spend it retaliating by hurling nasty remarks at me and whining [like BIG, spoiled babies] about the fact that my opinions about Van's latest album are different from yours [among other things]. C'mon, chill da hell out; y'all are seriously making a mountain out of a mole hill. It's not that serious, you feel me?
Van is in this crazy thing called the music industry and I'm pretty sure she can accept the fact that not everybody's gonna love her and her music. Why don't y'all feel the same way? [Looks to me like Van is more secure in her talent and comfortable w/ herself than even her most devoted fans are, ironically]. She's a grown-ass woman who I'm pretty sure can handle her own bid'ness and not lose any sleep when someone hurts her feelings. People gonna do that to you for as long as you live, so you might as well get used to if, or else be miserable for the rest of your life [or even suicidal]. If people don't like the artists I listen too, then it's fine by me; their tastes are just different, that's all... or sometimes they just don't know what they're missin'. Ain't nothin' I can do but go on about my business. As long as you don't put your hands on me, you can say whatever you want. It ain't gonna bother me none. I don't even know why I'm explainin' myself to some of you, b/c it obviously ain't doin' no good. Some of you have been smokin' so much Mary Jane that it's blowed out your minds, and I can't reason w/ people who have baked brains. Either that, or some people can't stand the truth, 'cuz the truth hurts bad... if you're not one of those mature people who can stomach it. For that reason, it's impossible to have a reasonable, mature, civilized, poised discussion.
Ever heard the saying, 'I'm rubber, you're glue, and whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you?' ['Nuff said.] But in the meantime I'll get a good night's sleep b/c if I spend it quarreling w/ people who can't take anything deep I'll get sidetracked. The only thing I can do is pray for you. What goes around comes around. You reap what you sow. The very same way you're treating me, whether it's for bad or worse, someone's gonna revisit it back on you. That's all I have to say. I wish you the best, and God bless.
